Meanwhile, Fredi Murer's Swiss film "Vitus," that country's entry in the Academy Awards foreign-language category, made its international debut Thursday to a packed house.

"La Sconosciuta" is Tornatore's first film since the Oscar-nominated "Malena." The director is best known for his 1989 classic "Cinema Paradiso."

According to distributor Adriana Chiesa, the film has been sold in seven territories: Belgium, Brazil, Greece, Japan, the Middle East, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. The company said that deals for several other territories, including the U.S., Germany, Spain and Switzerland, were still being discussed.

The film is opening Friday in Italy amid a massive publicity campaign.